To realise great success in our prayer life we must develop the discipline of orienting our minds towards God's thoughts. We must develop a God consciousness. In other words, we must learn to think like God. And then practice thinking like Him every day and in every situation until it becomes a daily discipline. How do we do this? It's easier than we realise, God's thoughts are in His Word and as we read and study the Word, we will learn to think like God. The Apostle Paul discovered the power of this discipline and encourages us in Roman's to "renew" our minds. Paul experienced transformation as a result of practicing this discipline daily.

So how does this affect our prayer life? Well, if we have a mind that is thinking God's thoughts, then our prayers will be prayers that pray His thoughts. Is their a higher prayer than praying God's very thoughts? Certainly not. Can powerful prayer be that simple? Yes! Let's think about it, where does the enemy attack our faith? He does it in our mind. He feeds thoughts of doubt and unbelief to our mind and this is where the battle begins. If left unchecked, these thoughts will increase and multiply in our thinking leaving our faith sorely eroded which in effect paralyses our prayers. Can we pray doubting? Here's what the Word says about that:

James 1: 6-9 But let him ask in faith , with no doubting , for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord ; he is a double- minded man , unstable in all his ways.

Can you see the powerful effect our thoughts have on our prayers? However, if we learn to think like God, if we orient our mind towards His thoughts and develop this as a discipline in our daily living, when the enemy feeds us such doubting and unbelieving thoughts we will instantly recognise them and be immediately unwilling to receive them into our mind. If the enemy has no place in our thinking then we are able to pray unhindered with powerful direction from the very mind of God!

Start today! Take careful instruction from the Apostle Paul and develop a God consciousness, oreint your mind towards His thoughts and start to think like Him - it will transform your prayer life for sure!

These are Holy Spirit inspired prayers that Paul prayed for the believers in the Church. These prayers are spiritual, timeless and have been given to us by the Spirit of God to pray today.

Ephesians 1:16-21, “ I Cease not to give thanks to you, making mention of you in my prayers: That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the Heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.”

Ephesians 3:14-21, “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in Heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breath, and length,and depth, and hight; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,according to the power that worketh in us. Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

Colossians 1:9-11, “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness.”

Hebrews 13:20-21 Amp. “Now may the God of peace [Who is the Author and the Giver of peace], who brought again from among the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood [that sealed, ratified] the everlasting agreement (covenant, testament), strengthen (complete, perfect) and make you what you aught to be and equip you with everlasting good that you may carry out His will, [while He, Himself] works in you and accomplishes that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ (the Messiah), to Whom be the glory forever and ever (to the ages of the ages). Amen (so be it.)”

Romans 15:13 Amp. “May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.”

In these prayers we find everything embodied that will promote spiritual growth in the believer.

Paul also prayed for the believer that Christ would be formed in them.

Galatians 4:19. “My little children in whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you”

This is every believer's destiny.

Romans 8:29 Amp. “For those whom He foreknew [ of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be moulded into the image of His Son [ and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.”

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, “Honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work. They work hard among you and warn you against all that is wrong. Think highly of them and give them your wholehearted love because of their work.”

Praying is one of the highest forms of honor that we can show to our Pastor.

Romans 15:30, “I urge you brothers by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in the struggle, by praying to God for me.”

Prayers for the Pastor's Anointing:

Isaiah 11:2-5, "The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist.”

Luke 4:18,19, “The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Prayers for the Pastor's Boldness:

Ephesians 6:19, “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel.”

Acts 4:29, “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings; and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.”

Prayers for the Pastor's Wisdom:

1 Kings 3:9 “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”

1 Kings 4:29, “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand is of the sea shore.”

Ephesians 1: 17,18 “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.”

Prayers for the Pastor's Preaching:

1 Corinthians 2:4, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power.”

2 Corinthians4:2, “But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.”

Acts 22:14 Amp, “And he said, 'The God of our forefathers has destined and appointed you to come progressively to know His will [to perceive, to recognize more strongly and clearly, and to become better and more intimately acquainted with His will], and to see the Righteous One (Jesus Christ, the Messiah), and to hear a voice from His [own] mouth and a message from His [own] lips.”

Ephesians 4:11-13 “And He Himself gave some to the apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, until we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

Jesus is the chief Shepard.
John 10:11-14

The Pastor, the shepherd of the flock, has the Shepard's anointing to guide and feed the flock under the direction of the chief shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ- the Head of the Church
1 Peter 5:4

Ephesians 6: 18,19 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints- and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.”

We, the local body, are to pray for our pastor and for one another.

God carries out His will on the earth through the praying church.

Believers are to be determined to respond to the Spirit of God to pray for our local church.

Psalm 127:1 “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it...”

Decide what you want from God and find the scripture that promises the things that you are asking for.

Believe that you have received the answer and visualize it.

Offer up thanksgiving to God.

Pray with your understanding and pray in the Holy Spirit.

We pray because we are one with Jesus, the great Intercessor.

1 Timothy 2: 1-4 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God or Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

What is supplication?

It is a petition, a request.

A humble. Earnest entreaty or request.

It can be made for those in authority.

For all saints.

For us concerning both natural and spiritual needs.

Use in Intercessory prayer.

What is Intercession?

To act between two parties with the thought of reconciling the two.

Standing in the gap in prayer on behalf of one another.

A prayer to hold back judgment.

Why do we have to pray for all men?

2 Corinthians 4:3,4 “ But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine on them.”

Matthew 9:37,38 “Then He said to His disciples, “ The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefor pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

2 Peter 3:9, “ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

What can you do as a believer?

1. Purpose in your heart:

i.e. Government leaders to be saved; People in your city to be saved.

2. Intercede for your unsaved family members by name. Claim their deliverance from blindness and the bondage of Satan. Pray for their full salvation in Jesus Name.

Matthew 8:5,13

3. Ask the Lord for understanding of what your part is as one of those labourers.